November 24, 2003

I was a little apprehensive about the event after Red Bull failed to hold it on several very good days last month but as I drove over the Ponquogue Bridge I knew their waiting had paid off.   Twenty-foot plumes of spray blew off the backs of waves from 35mph offshore winds. Eight-foot sets stacked a half-mile out on the outer sand bars.   It wasn't the prettiest of days but that's what this contest is about, sick waves, harsh conditions and the Northeast's most core guys. On November 20th, 2003 the light turned green for the Long Island Red Bull Ice Break Qualifier at Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays.

After evaluating the break in front of the contest area (big, long, way offshore left) it was decided to move down the road a bit to a more user-friendly spot.   Leisurely making my way there, I climbed over the dune to see six foot barrels exploding fifty yards from the beach.   Things were slow to get underway which gave locals and contestants a chance to get stuffed and pitted.   Sam Hammer took an incredibly late drop on a lined up dredger and pulled in deep pumping through section after section.   The last slab folded way in front of him to finish his ride but he amazingly flew out the other end onto the flats. Hammer's wave was sickest backside barrel I have seen in New York.  

The locals were a little agitated at first as their break was invaded on the sickest day in weeks.   A few of the heavies entered the contest and assured the other locals that things would be cool.   The lineups weren't cleared and everybody got sick waves.   Red Bull provided free entry to the contest, breakfast, lunch and an after party for everyone who was there.   They even brought along a jet ski which came real close to being used for tow-ins on the outer bar (the bar kind of turned off when the contest ended).   The Red Bull guys definitely put together a great event.

The contest was held in an expression session format. There were two rounds in which everyone got to surf twenty five minutes in each round. Your top score from each round counted toward the final.   With many of the waves closing out, wave selection and a little luck was key.   Matt Keenan started things off with a sick tube and floater to set the bar.   From that point on it was clear that you were either in the tube or on your way home.   Andrew Gessler was getting some really stylish tubes as was Will Skudin, who also came in with a busted board.   Hammer was showing off his Pipe skills with super deep ones but couldn't find any exits.   Craig Mangio was doing some big backside turns that were scoring just a bit lower than the barrel ride.    Ryan Carlson found the longest barrel of the first round slipping out the doggie door way down the beach.

The intensity continued in Round 2 as Gessler found the nugget of the day with a double barrel and air to end it.   After a lackluster performance in Round 1, Sean Killarney came alive in Round 2 with barrel after barrel catapulting him into the all-important 5th position.   In the end all the competitors had a great day of surfing but it was the 5 goofy foots that dominated the racy lefts.

The top five surfers get flown to Nova Scotia for the final this winter.  They will also have a new 6/5/4 winter suit from Quiksilver that should help them keep warm at the 300 yard point breaks up there.

Stay tuned.

-Brian Walsh